Next Chapter
by LadyGuilt
Summary: With the war officially over, destiny met, Harry struggles to understand what comes after the end. Thankfully Ginny is there to give him some perspective. - OneShot. Ginny/Harry. Part of the 100 Prompt Challenge. Post Deathly Hallows.


**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter does not belongs to me. Characters, Places and Events are completely fictional and not meant to describe a real life person, place or event. Any similarity with reality is completely coincidental.

**Warnings: **This story had not been beta read. English is not my first language, so I apologize beforehand for all mistakes in spelling and grammar.

**A/N: **This is my first entry for the _100 Prompt Challenge_. The prompt was #**100** "_Endings_". For the complete list of Prompts please message me, as I don't have it on my profile as of yet.

Currently, I'm on the market for a **Beta Reader**. If anyone is interested in working with me, please contact me. I'm hoping I can work some sort of exchange with whomever wishes to become the second half of this partnership.

Thank you for taking your time to read. Without much ado,

_Read, Enjoy and Review_.

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**Next Chapter**

**~o~**

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Harry absolutely hated endings. Every since he was small child, whether he be watching a movie -which hardly ever happened- or reading a novel for school, he dreaded seeing those words. _The End_. Once those words appeared then it was all over. And what, if anything, happens after the end? Did all just stopped? Becomes some sort of Limbo?

He was dragged out of his thoughts when he felt a swift sharp pain on his side. Turning his head quickly, his gaze meet Hermione's. She was scowling at him, and without saying a word, pointed with the side of her head towards the front where Mrs. Weasley had just taken the podium.

It had been eight months since the Battle of Hogwarts. Eight months since Voldemort had been defeated once and for all. Eight months since all of them had lost friends and family.

Harry had figured everything would be over that night, but as it turned out, even without Voldemort leading them, the war was far from over. During the past eight months, newly appointed Minister of Magic, Kingsley Schacklebolt had drove a hard and merciless war against those who had stood with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He had refused to announced the war as over, claiming the war wouldn't be done until the last known Dead Eater had paid for their crimes. And so, he had rebuild the Ministry from the ground up. Recruited new Aurors from those who had fought either on the _Order of the Phoenix_ or had support their cause.

Kingsley had also made a surprising offer to some of the young wizards that had fought against Voldemort and his men. Harry had joined in, of course. As had Neville. Ron had been approached but though the tall red head still planned to become an Auror, he had rejected the offered to join then. During the last few months, Ron had been trying to help his brother George on the Joke Shop the older Weasley once shared with his twin brother.

Hermione, the brightest witch Harry knew, had not being offered to join in, but then the young witch had taken a Portkey to Australia a few weeks after the battle, hoping to find her parents and reconnect with them.

Surprisingly enough, Kingsley's first choice for the program had been Ginny, even though she had been underage at the time, and despite Mrs. Weasley's loud protest. But Ginny had her own issues to work through and like Ron, opted not to become an Auror. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Harry had been glad that Ginny had decided against joining the Auror office. She was the stronger witch he knew, and though he trusted her with his life, he wouldn't hide the fact that Ginny was his biggest distraction.

As far as Harry could tell, Ginny was one of the only two good things in his life over the past eight months. The last string to his sanity. Without her and his godson Teddy, Harry would have snap.

Like he felt he was about to do right then.

It had been Kingsley's idea to made that into an event. The Wizarding community had need that, Kingsley said to Harry when the young man had asked if he could skip it. If it felt like a big, pompous and meaningless production to him, Harry simply had to suck it up.

There had been countless parties and ceremonies over the past eight months. Just because the Ministry hadn't want to publicly accept the war was over, it didn't changed the fact that for most people it was. For the majority of the wizards living in England, once Voldemort was gone, so was his threat. And they had celebrate. Harry and his friends had stayed clear of most parties, though he had been forced to attend a few. It wasn't like they weren't glad Tom Riddle was gone, that his followers were done, but they had simply lost too many people during the last battle. They were grateful for their sacrifice, but the pain had been sharp and fresh.

Eight months after their loss, and they were just barely starting to get used to life without their family and friends on it.

Forcing his mind to stop from wondering once more, Harry focused his attention on Mrs. Weasley. She was standing on the podium, her husband Arthur standing behind her in a show of support, of tradition. Harry had been present when the Minister asked Molly to speak the name of those fallen during The First War. Percy had given Harry a crash course on etiquette. He now knew that it was customary for a high ranked witch to give the last respects to those who had been lost, while her spouse, - or oldest child, If the witch was a widow,- lend silent support through the ceremony. It was to show the connection, solidarity and unity between family. Symbolic of course, since all wizards were supposed to see one another as one big family. Harry knew it was a great honor, and he was very proud that Mrs. Weasley had been asked to do it, as the woman was the first real taste of family he had ever had.

Still, it was a very emotional and bitter sweet moment for her. During the first rise of Lord Voldemort, Molly Weasley had lost friends, acquaintances and family. Her two younger brothers had given their lives while fighting for the _Order of the Phoenix_. Her children had all been born during those dark days.

As she read in a pain filled voice the name of those who had been lost during the first war, Harry was forced to admit that Kingsley had been right. That wasn't a common ceremony. And certainly, it wasn't a meaningless one.

He felt a hand caught his, and squeeze gently when the name of his parents were called. He sent a quick, grateful look to Hermione, who Harry was surprise to see, looked like was about to cry. He smile faintly and squeezed her hand back. That girl, who was the closest thing to a sister he had, was the most sensitive soul Harry ever known.

Eventually, Mrs. Weasley was done reading from the long list. She clung to her husband's hand as they walked away from the podium and towards their seat, while the Minister stepped once more forward, and thank Molly for her part.

"It was a great man that one said, 'The cost of a free happy, life, is constant Vigilance.'" Kingsley quote, addressing the crown once more. As always, the deep baritone of his voice was enough to capture everyone's attention. "Unfortunately, despite being warned against it, we were not vigilant. We allowed a false sense of security to blind us, and the result will haunt us, had forever altered us. We, in our lack of vision, in our flawed thinking, allowed this man, this monster by the name of Tom Riddle, to raise once more. Bringing more pain, more loss into our lives. The lives that were lost on his second reign of terror will never be replaced, they will never be forgotten." He paused dramatically there, and stepped to the side allowing the second speaker to step forward and take the place at the podium.

Harry didn't need Hermione's tight grip on his hand to let him know that the brunet witch approved. Though the bright smile on her face would have given her away. Harry himself, couldn't help but feel a deep surge of pride as his gaze fall on the dainty figure who had claimed the attention of everyone in attendance.

As tradition dictated, it was a witch, and the Ministry was playing the family angle still, by choosing Ginny, the only female child of the Weasley Clan. Her hair was brighter, a sharper tone of red than her mother's. Her face was untouched by the unforgiven pass of time. Ginevra was shorter, slimmer, and unlike her mother had chosen to wear muggle like clothing instead of formal wizardry robes. But they shared the same eyes, the same shape of their mouths. They carried the same pain. It was a visual prof of two completely different generations, touched and marked by the same man.

Ginny had broken tradition by standing on her own. Harry had seen the fight that, that decision had caused. Traditions were traditions for a reason, her mother had told her, when the young witch had made her wishes known. But Ginny had no husband, and even though Bill, as the oldest of his siblings had offered to stand with her, Ginny had wanted to do that alone. Mrs. Weasley had even gone as far as suggest that Harry stood with Ginny, or that perhaps it would be better for Fleur to speak at the ceremony. Fleur was after all, married to a Weasley and such, even if she hadn't been born a Weasley herself, the connection would still be there to be made by all present. But Kingsley had been adamant about Ginny being the one who had to do it, and unlike her mother, he hadn't mind one bit her condition.

So Ginny stood alone as she addressed the crowd, and though it was clear that the oldest part of the congregation was not pleased, most of them got the point. "I grew up hearing about the First War." Ginny started, her voice loud and clear. "Hearing about _The Boy Who Lived,_ and how he defeated_ He-Who-Must-Not- Be- Named_. I was taught to fear the name, and be grateful that he was gone. He would not hurt me, he was dead.

"I was eleven years old when I found out that wasn't true." Her brown eyes found Harry's in the crowd and both of them shared a look filled with understanding. None one them would never said it, but the both knew that she had been one of the first victims of the second reign. Ginny might have survived Tom, but the scars would remained with her for as long as she lived. "It's not easy to realize that the stories you were told before going to bed, aren't stories after all. And the people who you start to lose isn't people you simply heard about while growing up, but they are your friends, your family."

It was harder for Harry to listen to Ginny speak. Like she said, it wasn't people you simply heard about while someone was reminiscing about the past, or you read in a history book. This time it was people he had met, spent time with, and loved. It was real, in a way that not even his own parents had been.

"She is glorious isn't she?"

Harry wasn't sure what Hermione meant by that, but as he listened to Ginny named all the fallen heroes and said a silent, last good bye to them, he knew what Ginny meant to him and had to agree. "Yeah, she is."

~o~

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~o~

"_And so, it's with great pleasure, that I'm officially announcing the end of the War!" _

Harry could heard Kingsley's words echoing on his head even hours after the ceremony had been over. The party that had followed was still going strong, but as the night grew late, he had became increasingly antsy, until finally breaking away from all the people vying for his attention had become vital for his sanity.

"So this is where you went off to hide."

He whirled around quickly, but before he had a chance to scowl at having been caught, he spotted the new comer and he smiled instead. "I got tired of waiting for my chance to speak to you." Harry said, extending a hand towards Ginny. Though it was true that he was still seen as the Savior of the Wizarding World, the happenings at Hogwarts while the school had been under Snape's control, had thrown both Ginny and Neville into a whole new world. Now, the two of them were revered as heroes, equal to Harry himself in most everyone's mind, and depending where they went, some even thought higher of them than they did of Harry.

Ginny smiled at him, though it was obvious that the eventful day was taking it's toll on her. "Well, where was my hero? You should have rescue me from all those people."

Chuckling, Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's slender frame, resting his cheek against her hair. "Sorry, darling. But last time I took you away from your admirers, your brother sat me down and gave me The Talk."

She rolled her eyes at that, remembering that particular day. "Well, you did throw me over your shoulder like a caveman and we were gone for over three hours." Ginny reminded him. They had gone flying, which was innocent enough, but her older brothers had only taken in their windblown appearances, flushed cheeks and satisfied grin as a guilty confession.

"I rather not repeat that any time soon."

Letting out a short laugh, Ginny raised her head and kissed his cheek lightly. "We'll make sure to remain presentable this time around." She promised, though Harry wouldn't put it pass her to act suggestively in front of her siblings just to land him in trouble. She had done so before.

Giving her a disbelieving look, he nodded. "Thanks. Your concern for my mental health is touching."

"I _am_ concerned." She argued, her tone shifting from playful to sober. Gently, she cupped his cheek between her fingers. "What's wrong? You have been sulking all day. I thought you would be happy."

"I have not!" Harry said indignantly, but gave up when Ginny simply stared at him. "What are we supposed to now?" He asked her softly, glad to finally be able to speak to someone about what had been bugging him all week. "So the war is finally over, what does that mean?"

Ginny was quiet for a few minutes, and Harry appreciated that she was taking her time to put her thoughts together, instead of giving him some cliché, Ministry approved speech, like Hermione would have, or simply dismissing his worries, like Ron. "It means that Tom can't hurt us anymore." She said eventually. "There is always going to be bad people around. There is always going to be those who think that PureBloods are better, or that Muggle borns are. Those who thrive in causing fear and pain. That's why we have Aurors and other law enforcers. But Tom's cause, his influence, is gone. Whatever comes after, good or bad, has nothing to do with him."

"And that's a good thing? He is just gone?"

She shrugged, though her gaze was pinned to Harry's. "Death is but the beginning. I think you know that better than anyone. But Tom destroyed his soul, Harry. It was his choice, and he had to deal with the consequences of what he did."

He nodded, agreeing with her on that. "But what are we supposed to now?"

"We move on. We work, we cry, we laugh, we make love. We live."

_We live_. He wasn't sure why, but that more than anything else shook him. Gave him hope. Maybe endings weren't about stopping a story, maybe they were about starting new chapters. New adventures. Harry was more than ready to start a new story with Ginny. "Thank you." He said sincerely, looking directly into the chocolate brown eyes he adored.

"If you really want to thank me, you would come help me torment my brothers." She suggested with an impish grin.

Laughing, Harry took a quick look at his watch. "Well, Charlie was talking about a Quidditch match. We have about thirty minutes before it's supposed to start. If we hurry, we can make it into the broom cupboard before they go for the brooms. Give them a nice surprise when they open that closet."

Eyes sparking with mischief, Ginny started to lead him towards the broom cupboard. "See, that's why I keep you around. You are brilliant."

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**FIN**

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_AN(2):_ Thank you so much for reading. Feedback is important, so don't forget to let me know what you thought of this story. Questions, suggestions, comments, are more than welcome.

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